Midgard Beckons
by SeerofSolaris
Summary: He fell for what seemed like an eternity only to land in the realm his brother had become so fond of. Now on earth he finds Jane and Darcy have a new companion, an astronomer; and slowly he begins to plant the seeds of misguided trust in her...Loki/OC
1. The Maelstrom

**Author's Note:** Yes I know I have many other stories I should be working on, but fear not! I am currently working on a new chapter for Undertow in the Sea of Simulation as well as Solace. Now that college is out for the summer I can focus more on my stories. Anyways went to see Thor the other day and totally fell in love with it and have had this little story slowly simmering into a boil for a good week...couldn't not write it anymore. Damn you plot bunnies! Anyways this takes place right after the movie but before the little tidbit after the credits. Hope you all enjoy! Rating will most likely go up later on...

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><p>The coolness of the evening finally broke through the sweltering heat of the day as an old rusted conversion van squeaked to an exhausted halt. Jane let out a huff and fanned herself eagerly with a pile of maps, wiping the sweat from her brow.<p>

"You know with all the fancy gadgets S.H.I. likes to brag about you'd think they could at least offer us a working air conditioner." Darcy whined reaching for the maps and snatching them out of Jane's hands.

"With the windows rolled down it's not too bad..." she relied with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah but the windows don't roll down anymore in the back, poor Ofelia is probably suffering from a mild case of heatstroke."

A frizzled head looked up as both women turned in their seats and looked back into the crowed back of the van to see Jane's apprentice huddled in the back; maps strewn across her lap.

"No, no, no I'm fine just a little toasty that's all." she relied somewhat flustered, wiping her brow and adjusting her glasses.

"Ofelia...your glasses are fogging up." Darcy relied matter-of-factly.

At this the apprentice scientist went crossed eyed before gingerly pulling off the lens and squinting at them in the low light.

"Hmmm...So they are." she replied and gently rubbed the glass on the dust covered hem of her once white shirt.

"You're going to scratch them that way." Jane scolded as she opened the door and slipped out.

"Well if S.H.I.E.L.D would stop intercepting my mail I would have my contacts by now..." Ofelia muttered under her breath as she shifted in her cramped quarters as she heard her boss open up the back of the van.

"Oh you'd be surprised, those contacts, could be a matter of national security." Darcy said in a sarcastic tone as she proceed to crawl around her seat and scoot in beside Ofelia, who was now trying to uncover their equipment which was buried under maps, readouts and schematics from the bumpy off road ride.

After a half hour of awkward shuffling and clumsy moving about the equipment was relatively set up and the three women sat tiredly upon their rolled up sleeping bags, in the waning light of the New Mexico desert.

"Ugh...I don't even have the energy to open my bag...Jane will you set up my sleeping bag?" Darcy asked beleaguered.

"No I'm sure you're perfectly capable of doing that yourself." she replied with a breathy laugh.

Darcy groaned and began to roll out her sleeping bag, with dramatic grunts and scuffling about.

"So this is just a normal display tonight, right?" she asked followed by an 'omph!' when she landed harder than expected on her bed roll.

"Yes, yes, just what the readouts indicated." Jane said.

If either of the two women noticed her wistful look to the heavens above neither of them said anything.

"Yes but it should be spectacular! The show of the season, which is odd since auroras of this magnitude are usually not documented this time of year." Ofelia said, adjusting her glasses and gazing up at the evening sky.

"You both must have been the life of the party back in school." Darcy chuckled as she looked through her ipod which S.H.I.E.L.D had so graciously returned.

"Hard work pays off!" Jane replied glaring at the other woman.

Ofelia merely chuckled and began rolling out her sleeping bag, feeling somewhat out of place.

Jane and Darcy...they had history together, living through an event, most if not all could only dream about or read in books.

_She had come to them soon after the whole ordeal as a scientist recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D; fresh out of college and eager to put her degree in Astronomy to good use. She had been swept up in a whirlwind, graduating college and in her current position in under 4 months._

_She had only been introduced to the small ragtag group at the New Mexico outpost a few weeks ago...maybe a month, and for a time she had felt like a stranger among family...she still did. But Jane Foster had insisted that she make herself right at home, and Ofelia was stunned to find out that she had been handpicked by Jane herself out of a dozen other applicants that the government agency had been monitoring..._

"Ofelia...Ofelia!"

She snapped out of her revelry with a jump that nearly sent her glasses flying off the bridge of her nose and looked around in surprise.

"Sorry, sorry! Just daydreaming a bit." she relied with a sheepish smile when she spotted Jane looking over to her, a concerned look crossing her features.

"I was just asking if there has been any increased particle activity in the electromagnetic field." Jane repeated and other woman realized that the scanner was beside her sleeping bag.

Carefully she picked up the monitor mentally cringing as she got sweaty, oily finger prints on the screen.

"Nothing yet." she called over her shoulder, and quickly double check before grabbing at a worn piece of paper hanging from her duffle-bag. "This doesn't seem right...we should be getting at least some sort of readings by now..." she said scanning the night sky, only to be met by the twinkling stars and no sign of the fantastic light display charted in.

"It's late..." Jane said slowly before looking through her notebook.

"So it's a little late, you guys don't need to have a joint conniption." Darcy muttered from her sleeping bag, already settling in for the night.

Jane sighed and looked back to her notes.

"I guess we'll just play the waiting game." she said looking over to Ofelia with a smile.

"Cat and mouse?" Ofelia continued, returning the smile shyly.

"Cosmic cat and mouse." the astrophysicist corrected, and the two women laughed in good spirits, which the third groaned at their enthusiasm.

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><p>And so they waited; eleven o'clock came and went with no sign of the cosmic lights that were now depriving them of sleep; soon twelve o'clock did as well.<p>

Every hour, every half hour, every few minutes both Jane and Ofelia glanced down at their wrist watches, with each passing minute leaving both of them more and more deterred in their current endeavor.

"Maybe the readouts were wrong...a fluke." Ofelia said slowly, looking over to Jane who looked as though she beginning to fall asleep; Darcy had fallen asleep some time ago.

"They can't, I double and triple-Everything indicated-" Jane's sentence fell short with a huff of displeasure as she wormed her way further down into her sleeping bag and away from the cold chill of the night air.

Ofelia gave her a weak smile, knowing that feeling well, that feeling that all your hard work has been waste; culminating into one fantastic flop of disappointment.

"I'm...I'm just going to rest my eyes for a moment..." Jane said, voice tired and put-off by the whole turn of events.

"Yeah, okay...I'll be up for a little bit longer." the astronomer replied, reaching into her and pulling out a star atlas.

"Wake me up if anything happens..."Jane muttered, already sounding as if she was well on her way to dreamland.

"Sure thing." Ofelia said with a small smile before turning back to her worn atlas.

With a flash light in one hand and her book in the other Ofelia began to map out the stars as she had done so many times before. Finding her favourite constellations and stars, and searching for the invisible galaxies located between the far off twinkling spheres. And though she most likely knew her local cluster of stars and their ever changing seasons like the back of her hand, she mapped them again and again out of reverence.

An hour later she felt as though she would fall asleep sitting up if she didn't put her book away and settle into her sleeping bag. Sluggishly she packed her things somewhat haphazardly before laying down with a tired sigh.

Curling up she ducked her head tucking her cold nose under the blanket and briefly looked out across the barren desert. She hummed and huddled into the warmth of her makeshift bed about submerge her head completely into the confines of her sleeping bag when flicker in the sky caught her attention.

She blinked, unsure for a moment if she was just on the cusp of her REM sleep cycle; she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes and blinked again before clumsily reaching for her glasses on top of her duffle-bag. In and uncoordinated motion she managed to push her glasses onto her face without gauging her eye out and looked up into the sky.

"...Oh my God..." she breathed, in awe at the show being played out before her.

She had seen many auroras, both in documentaries and first hand; hell in university it was imperative she saw them and documented the phenomenon in detail. But never had she seen one in such resplendent vivacity.

She was dumbstruck, mouth agape and glasses askew, she knew the image was most likely quite comical. But she did nothing to change it... at the moment she didn't care if she looked absurd, gawking up at the sky like a turkey in a rainstorm.

After a few more moments a sudden and forceful gust of wind brought her back to her senses and a loud high pitched squeal to her right caused her to jump in surprise. Quickly glancing over she spotted one of the monitors and the display on the screen left her feeling an unsettled yet completely elated sense in her stomach.

"That's not possible." she said as she gripped the screen, nearly smashing her face into it as she scanned through the data being relayed.

Another gust of wind, this one stronger than the last.

"Jane, Jane! You really need to see this...oh my god, this can't be can it?" she called out shakily face still pressed to the monitor. She had read Jane's notes but reading is different from experiencing first hand and it made her skin tingle and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

Jane groggily began to stir, eyes fluttering, looking dazed.

By now Ofelia had discarded the monitor and had picked up the thermal-imaging camera and was around the side of the van trying to locate the spike in the magnetic field.

In a matter of moments Jane was up, tripping over her sleeping bag in her eagerness and shouting to Darcy to wake up.

"Jane! the highest energy spike is coming from this way! To the west!" the astronomer called out from around the van. "This-this is impossible, unprecedented-no, no, no that's incorrect; Jane it looks as though an vortex of...of energy is forming about ten kilometers away-It's off the charts!" by now she was shouting over the sudden wind that turned from sporadic gusts to a complete onslaught.

Jane dragged a half conscious Darcy to her feet and hastily grabbed at the must-have equipment before racing over to the van and ripping open the back and shoving it in unceremoniously.

"...Holy shit..." Darcy said as she came to, the vivid light show catching her full attention.

"Yes, yes! Get in the van Darcy! Ofelia!" Jane shouted out and Ofelia quickly jumped into the back before the astrophysicist slammed the doors shut.

The two other women scrambled into the driver's and passenger's seat doors slamming in unison.

Jane looked about wildly as the two women waited in anticipation; Ofelia gripping the camera with more force than needed.

"Keys, KEYS! where are the keys!" Jane shouted utterly flustered, arms flailing about "Darcy!"

"I don't know!" she shouted back now looking around as well, and Ofelia joined in the frantic search.

"Ignition!" the astronomer shouted out and pointed at the charmed chain hanging in its usual spot.

Jane muttered obscenities to herself as she quickly turned the key, threw the vehicle into gear, pressed her foot to the floor, and threw her weight into the steering wheel.

"It's going to stall!" Darcy screamed over the engine, holding on to the dashboard fearing for her well being.

"No it's not!" Jane called back. as the van jolted forward. A shower of maps and notes covered the three women.

"You're going to kill us!" Darcy rebuked

"No I'm not!" Jane relied. "Ofelia what's our distance?" the ecstatic determination evident in her voice.

"Nine kilometers and closing!" came the reply and the rustling of papers as the woman gingerly tried to push the maps out her lap and the note filled boxes off her back. "...eight!"

They hit a bump and for a moment and it felt as though the van was air born before slammed back to the earth, jostling everyone and knocking the equipment around.

"I see it!" Darcy shouted, pointing through the windshield.

Ahead, just beyond a rock knoll and across a flat expanse of desert, a large dark vortex rose up the sky.

"Holy...shit..."Ofelia murmured, not even bothering to censor herself.

"I know." Darcy said back.

For a moment the team's view was obscured as the van rolled into the trough of the knoll; and then slowly it began to climb the swell, finding little traction on the loose rocks.

"Come on!" Jane shouted at the steering wheel, letting off on the gas slightly.

"Jane it's ascending-it's dissipating." Ofelia said sounding flustered and frustrated at the decreasing energy readouts.

_"It doesn't matter...he'll be there-he HAS to be there...there no other explanation."_ Jane thought to herself, finding reassurance in her reasonings and inner confidence.

Slowly the van rumbled to the top of the hill, just as the last of the vortex was swallowed back up into the night sky.

Jane allowed the vehicle to coast down the hill, a wave of uncertainty suddenly washed through her.

"He'll be there right?" she heard Ofelia murmur to Darcy.

"He should be, this is the only reason why an occurrence like this should happen." she answered before the younger woman could even open her mouth.

Coming to a halt a few meters away from the site where the vortex touched down, a residual dust cloud rose up into the sky, making it almost impossible to see what was beyond the sandy curtain.

As Darcy and Jane scrambled out of the van, not bothering to close the doors behind them Ofelia cast a quick glance down to the camera, to see a blank, black screen staring back up at her.

She cast it aside, opting to find out why it died later and clumsily pushed herself out of the back, through the gap between the driver and passenger seats and nearly felt out of vehicle in her mad dash to catch up to her team.

By the time she had made it to the vortex site the dust cloud was dispersing and she quickly spotted Jane and Darcy standing in the center of what looked like at first glance an intricate celtic knot. As she entered the circle she noticed the astrophysicists slumped shoulders and the ex-interns uneasy shifting from one foot to the other.

"I don't understand..." Jane murmured, sounding shocked.

"...Maybe he started walking towards town." Darcy offered; both she and the astronomer looking around the barren landscape. But saw no one stumbling through the night towards the flickering lights on the horizon, marking the small town in the distance.

And at that moment realization kicked in and Ofelia immediately understood the reason behind the sudden change in the astrophysicists demeanor. They were alone, no one had come through the portal...


	2. The Lackluster Realm

**Author's Note**: I have been so easily distracted lately, this chapter just seemed to take me forever to write due my occasional short attention span lol. Anyways, thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter as well favourited. And don't worry Loki will be making his appearance in this chapter...actually this chapter is Loki focused! and of course he will be up to his old mischievous self! Once again I hope you all enjoy! Sorry it's a bit shorter than the last one.

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><p>He stumbled slightly, dazed and none too pleased; taking a shaky breath he choked, grit and dust bitting at his lungs. Growling and sputtering the God of Mischief staggered out of the dust cloud, blinking he scanned his surroundings. The area looked somewhat familiar to him...very familiar; his breath caught in his throat and slowly he released in an angry hiss. This was Midgard, Earth, the realm his dear brother had become so fond of...<p>

"Such irony..." he murmured to himself as he glared up to the heavens. Strange how he was now in this mortal Realm yet those were the stars of his Realm twinkling at him, almost as if they were mocking him. Perhaps, he thought; the other Gods were laughing at him.

Before he had any chance to dwell further on the rather sore subject he heard a growing rumble off in the distance and he quickly turned on his heel. Through the pillar of dust he could make out two beams of light, something he had grown to associate the approach of mortals who were in a hurry to get somewhere. Loki muttered to himself covered himself in a cloak of magic, blending to his surroundings. He was pleased at this, pleased to find that his magic and power hadn't been sapped as his brother's had; then again, he thought ruefully this exile was of his own doing, not his father's.

Side stepping around the settling dust he watched as a rather familiar looking old van rumbled and groaned towards him. His eyes narrowed as he watched two figures scramble out of the vehicle; yes how could he forget...looking heavenward for a moment he glared at the laughing stars '_why?...of all the people in the realm of Midgard, why did it have to be these two again?'_

He watched as they ran towards him, towards the Bifrost circle, the younger one..._Darcy_ as he remembers, nearly tripping over her own feet as she scooted past him. A rustling from the van caught his attention and he once again stared curiously at the thought to be empty vehicle. After a few moments as more odd sounds he watched as another woman fell out of the van, almost face first into the sandy ground. She was as about as graceful as the other and he watched as she shakily picked herself up; bending back down to gingerly snatch something up from the ground, bringing the item up to her face.

He stepped to the side as she rushed to catch up to her companions...the mortal, this woman was not in their company the last time he had come to this Realm. He turned and cooly gazed at the three women now standing in the circle; they were distracted he could run, but where could he go, and mysteriously appearing footsteps in the sand would be suspicious in the least. He briefly wondered if he could teleport to the small town he had sent the Destroyer to, but doubted he had the energy. The fight with his brother and the fall, however long it had been had drained him of energy; he could already feel his body protesting, aching with sustaining his blanket of camouflage.

"Maybe he started walking towards town."

The voice jolted him out of his musings, eyes focusing in on the three, ears tuned in on their conversation.

"Do you see anyone wandering through the desert besides us Darcy?" _Jane_...she was angry, frustrated and by the way the other two women were looking at her, it must have been an uncommon reaction.

He continued to observe them carefully, he knew that they had been hoping for his brother. At this he scoffed; of course they had, the Thunder God, filling the dreams of man while he himself lurked in the shadows of the subconscious, dwarfed by the mighty God.

Bending down, the woman he had not met scooped up some of the sand into a small vial, capping it and placing it in her pocket.

"Do you think something else came through? I don't see why a phenomenon like this would happen unless it was acting as a conduit...at least based on your notes." she said.

"Maybe...we'll have to come back in the morning an assess everything properly." gaze focused on the ground.

He tilted his head and slowly rounding the small group, trying to get a better look at the female that had captured his brother's heart.

Her head suddenly whipped up and turned towards him and he paused; she turned and began to walk, arms crossed, face determined she stopped before him, not a foot of spacing between them.

Though he knew she could not see him, the steely gaze she cast out at the landscape behind, unsettled him slightly.

"I'll find him...I'll find a way to access his world, connect ours..." he heard her murmur to herself.

_Ah_, now this caught his attention, with the Bifrost gone the Realms were no longer tied to one another, and though he knew of hidden aisles between Asgard and Jotenheim he knew none of Midgard's. If she was trying to find a way back to Thor, then she was searching for a way to restore the Bifrost...

A slow sly grin grew on his lips; her determination would be his boon.

Loki gave himself some distance before following after them, their over crowded mode of transportation would have to be his transport as well. following the newcomer around the backside of the van he waited until she shut the doors before clambering up the ladder attached to the back. There was little room on the roof of the vehicle and he only barely managed to uncomfortably situate himself against one of the mounted satellite dishes. As the van roared to life once more he braced himself lightly as began to move towards the small cluster of lights dotting the barren landscape off in the distance.

He would have to be careful, the two women would undoubtably be wary, though he doubted they knew his face, they knew of his interference with their Realm. And he doubted that the one that held Thor's attention would be willing to give up any of her secrets to a stranger.

A larger bump and he grimaced, gripping the railing along the top of the van.

However the other woman, the one who had not been here during the event, she would be less guarded...easier to manipulate, _no_ he didn't like that word..._easier to trick_...

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><p>As the van rolled into the small town he gazed around at his temporary home, much to his chagrin.<p>

The sparse street laps were dull and lackluster, unlike the lanterns that lit the halls and streets of Asgard like thousands of fireflies on a warm summer's eve. Everything looked as though it was covered with a layer of dust and sand, and he doubted that even in the morning light that the buildings would appear any less unkempt.

Sudden shouting and jovial laughter caught his attention and he craned his neck to see a group of men stumbling out of what appeared to be the local pub up ahead.

As they rolled by he took notice of their attire, _ah_, just what he was looking for, a rather lucky convenience. They were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, though seemingly poor ones by they way they carried themselves and allowed themselves to wallow in such a drunken stupor. As he watched them stumble out into the street he was briefly reminded of his brother and his four warrior friends. He frowned wondering why they had invaded his thought and he quickly pushed them to the back of his mind, steering his train of thought back to task at hand.

He studied the drunken fools, taking in their untucked shirts, loosened ties and lopsided badges, he felt a unpleasant tingle wash across his body; the magic was weak, stale and he knew he would have to make a few adjustments before he looked presentable. Slowly his regal clothing morphed into the rather dull, black suit, slacks and dress shoes. He grimaced at the shoddy change; had his magic been up to par he wouldn't be having to tuck in his shirt or fixing the tie, everything would be in it's proper place.

As he finished tiding up his new outfit he noticed that the badge on his his breast apparently decided not to come with the suit and tie. Grumbling to himself he snapped his fingers; the laminated id appeared in a puff of smoke and landed in his lap. He briefly looked it over; his photo looked like all the other mugshot ids, his outfit straight and neat, everything seemed to be in order...now all he needed was a name. Running his thumb beneath the photo of himself the letters slowly appeared _Lloyd Newton_...It would have to do.

Leaning back he relaxed against the satellite dish and _enjoy_ the rest of the ride.

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><p>He had almost fallen asleep when he felt the van come to a stop and heard the soft whispers of the women as they got out.<p>

"Ugh, I'm going to sleep until noon..." he heard the younger say with a yawn.

"No, you wont, Ofelia and I need your help processing the data we received tonight."

_...Ofelia_

"Fine, fine, but I expect a steaming cup of coffee to greet me in the morning."

He watched them retreat into the lab, carefully taking note of the security guard stationed at the entrance. A cool smile grew on his lips, the man would be no match for him, easy pickings, even in his less than satisfactory state.

After a few more moments of waiting Loki slowly descended from his perch; stopped for a moment in a last check to make sure everything was in order before dropping his cloak of camouflage and rounding the side of the vehicle.

Taking long confident strides he knew the guard had spotted him by now, having stepped out into the dull light that shone down from the street lamp next to the building.

"This area is off limits." the man said gruffly.

Loki's lips quirked into a sly smile as he continued his approach.

"Sir you are not allowed in this area-" he repeated reaching for what the God could only imagine was a holstered gun at his hip.

"I believe I am." he said smoothly, tapping the badge at his chest, continuing to look rather smug. "I'm the new agent assigned to this division."

The man's brow furrowed and his hand lay poised over his still holstered weapon.

"I didn't get any confirmation on-" the guard began but was quickly cut off.

"What?" The God of Mischief sounded genuinely surprised, his face turning to that of concern and frustration, though beneath his outward appearance he felt the thrill of his charade coursing through his veins."Cobbs told me he sent over my file." remembering the name tag on one of the men stumbling out of the bar.

Instantly the guard dropped his hand and groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Damn Cobbs! Idiot can never get anything organized or sent to the right place...I'll contact him now and have him send over the files." the security officer said tiredly and began to take out a data pad.

"I doubt he'll be in the right state of mind to do anything possibly coherent at this time." Loki said slowly.

"And why's that?" the man paused.

"Saw him and a couple of agents stumbling out of the local bar on the way over here, he'll probably be nursing a heavy hangover until later in the afternoon."

"Why isn't he fired yet?" a heavy sigh. "Alright...Don't tell the superiors this but it's late and I'm too tired to deal with Cobbs' bullshit right now, I'll unlock the gates for you now and just hassle the bastard for the rest of your information when the suns out."

With that Loki heard a buzz and then watched, quite pleased with himself as the barred gate slowly began to open before him.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find that everything will be in order." he said as he passed the guard and began to walk towards the compound.

"Sure, but you know, standard procedure and all." the officer said in gruff annoyance.

"Of course." he replied cooly, a small satisfied smile playing across his lips as he walked away from his unknowing pawn.

Though he had held his head high and his air of confidence even higher, he felt himself deflate as he entered the main room of the research center. He felt the sweat upon his brow from straining to use his magic while his body tiredly protested. Eyeing the makeshift living space before him he spotted a sofa accompanied by a small gaggle of mismatched chairs and a coffee table sitting near the center of the room.

Slowly and with less grace and poise then he cared to take notice of he moved across the room and slumped bonelessly on to the sofa. Almost instantly he felt the first wave of sleepiness over take him; although he felt on edge letting his guard down so easily. But he knew that even if he could rest but a few hours it would greatly restore his energy and revive some of his magical prowess.

Though he remained ever wary of the Realm he now inhabited, he slowly allowed himself to fall victim to sleep's embrace...


	3. Good Morning Coffee

**Author's note:** I am glad that everyone is enjoying this so far and thank you to everyone who reviewed and favourited! In this chapter Loki and Ofelia finally meet face to face and The God of Mischief continues to scheme and plot. Once again a tad slow on the update sorry! I've been totally bogged down with college graduation stuff! Hope you all enjoy!

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><p>The soft <em>tinks<em> of metal against metal stirred him from his light sleep and the God of Mischief slowly opened his eyes, eyelids feeling heavy. While the remnants of sleep flitted through his mind making his thought process slow and hazy he certainly felt more rested than the night before and he could already feel his powers growing in strength.

After a few moments of dazed thoughts he collected himself and finally took in his new environment. He noticed that the facility was still dark, save for the dull light filtering through from the outside. He glanced out the panoramic windows that lined the walls and could see the rosy golden line that spanned the horizon signaling the coming dawn.

A sudden gurgling and sputtering caught his attention; his head whipped around, now very much alert to the world around him. Scanning the room he quickly spotted his prey; on the other side of the room's open expanse in the light of a dim lamp stood one of the woman tinkering away in the small kitchenette.

Carefully he watched her work as she moved from the cupboards to a large metal press pot. He soon recognized that it was the woman whom hadn't been there on his past visit to the Realm. A moment later a soft sound caught him off guard, she was humming.

Curious, he stood up and cautiously began to cross the room, footsteps making nary a sound as he crept up on the completely oblivious woman. As he closed the distance he quietly listened to the soft sound coming from the woman and although it was a bit off key and a tune he was unfamiliar with, it was not unpleasant and he found himself slowly relaxing.

As he reached the small fold-up table she still had not noticed his presence and he soundlessly pulled out a chair and sat down.

A minute later she turned around and startled as she saw him.

"Oh my god!" she screeched, jumping back slightly, the cup she held flew out of her hand, falling to the floor sending steaming liquid across the linoleum and concrete.

"Good morning." he said, with the quirk of his lips, watching as she stumbled back resting against the side of the counter, hand on her heaving chest.

"God! You scared me half to death." she finally said shakily, glaring at him behind her glasses.

Despite having heard her converse with the other two woman the night before, this was the first time he had took notice to the odd accent she had. At this he found himself slightly angry with himself for missing such a thing, no matter how small, unimportant...insignificant it was.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." he lied, putting on a good show to sound sincere.

She continued to glare at him, her grey eyes watching him carefully as she moved to pick up the tin cup that had clattered to the floor.

"Here let me help you with that, after all it was partially my fault." he said and rose from his seat, walking over to the counter and grabbing a roll of half used paper towels before kneeling beside her on the floor.

"...Who are you any way?" she questioned as she adjusted her glasses and grabbed the paper towel he offered her.

"Oh! I'm the new S.H.I.E.L.D agent assigned to this facility." he replied smoothly, taking the cup from her though it hadn't been offered and placed it in the sink.

"Thank you..." he heard her mumble as she mopped up the mess on the floor.

He watched her work, hastily and somewhat sloppily trying to clean up the mess she had made. Though after a moment she paused and looked up at him, and he was a tad surprised to see a sheepish look crossing her features..._she had freckles_.

"I'm sorry, I must have come off very rude." she said, giving him a rather guilty smile.

"No." he said shaking his head and laughed lightly. "No, it's understandable I assure you." at this he saw her blush lightly, and he felt somewhat uneasy at why it pleased him to see the flush in her freckled cheeks.

"I'm Ofelia, Ofelia Lawson." she chirped and raised her hand to him.

"Lloyd Newton." he replied and took her offered hand.

He knew back in Asgard the proper way to greet a young woman was to kiss her hand; however, after observing the behaviours of mortals on his last visit he had found that this action had long since died out in Midgard. So instead he opted for the less formal greeting and the one she was most likely been anticipating, a simple handshake.

"Pleased to meet you mister Newton." she said as he released her

"Lloyd, please." He already _hated_ the name.

"Then, Ofelia to you." she smiled and stood up, tossing the soddened paper towels into the trash bin besides the counter.

"Very well then, _Ofelia_." he purred holding out the her cup and she grabbed it clumsily, looking rather red again. He could tell she was now avoiding his gaze.

"Would you like any coffee Lloyd?" she asked finally, looking back up to him, gaze once again unflustered and bright.

"That would be wonderful."

* * *

><p>She felt utterly absurd as she poured herself a fresh cup of coffee before reaching for another cup hoping that her <em>wonderful<em> poise and grace wouldn't further make a fool of her. She was acting like a idiot, grumbling to herself she cursed at the heat that crept into her cheeks. She had know the man for five minutes and she was acting like a petty school girl with her first crush..._Stupid, stupid...dumb, stupid._..

"Cream? sugar?" she called out over her shoulder, pleased that her voice at least hadn't betrayed her as well.

"Just sugar." came the reply after a short pause.

She shuffled over to the table, careful not to spill any of their coffee, though she was now regretting filling the cups to the brim.

"Thank you." he said as she slid the very full cup over to him and sat down across from him.

"You're welcome..." she mumbled into her cup as she blew on the steaming liquid before taking a tentative sip.

She was happy for the silence that filled the kitchenette as they sipped on their coffee. Though the feeling of comfort soon waned and she felt rather unnerved by the quietness; cautiously she glanced up over the rim of her glasses to the man across from her.

"What division do you come from?" she asked and set her cup down on the table. "You don't seem like you would be from security." she added.

"And why would that be?" he questioned arching his eyebrows, and for a moment she was sure she saw a twinkle of playfulness in his eyes..._his eyes_. She hadn't noticed before and was taken back by their intensity, they looked as though they were emeralds. She quickly decided they complimented his features very well, his high cheekbones, proud angular face and dark slicked back hair.

"Well?" and she knew she had been caught staring, but quickly brushed it off refusing to let the heat creep back up into her face and make her look like even more of a fool.

"I simply have come to observe that security usually doesn't dress as nice-" _oh_...she had forgot how _she_ was dressed. With a t-shirt that was two sizes to large and a pair of shorts that she had stolen from her brother before she left for college that nearly reached her knees, she felt extremely undressed and suddenly very self conscious.

Upon realizing her less than appealing attire her mind trailed off to how the rest of her must look; thick rimmed glasses she hadn't worn since junior high. Her hair was most likely behaving in it's usual manner, completely untamed and frizzed due to the early summer heat...At that moment she wanted to shrink away, and she briefly wondered if her huge shirt would accommodate the rest of her.

She decided she must have looked like a complete wild child.

* * *

><p>He watched as the woman's before him face fell in look of mild horror and her gaze averted to her coffee cup, looking at it as if it had become the most interesting thing in the world.<p>

At her distraction he looked her over, watching as the steam from her drink rose up and fogged the framed glass shielding her dark grey eyes. As he continued his inspection he could see the freckles on her face travelled down and dusted her upper arms lightly; and her coppery-blonde hair that fell past her shoulders was wild and unkempt...it was charming.

And it irked him that he found himself taking note that she was indeed quite beautiful; not the dangerous beauty that Sif held or the regal beauty his stepmother Frigga had...no, it was something far more profound.

"No, I don't work for security." he said finally and her head snapped up in surprise. "I'm... in the intelligence division." he said after a moment allowing a small quirk of the lips to grace his features.

At this he saw her face light up and she leaned closer, as he expected; she was curious.

"Really? what sort of intelligence? I can only imagine the technology S.H.I.E.L.D has, probably some of the best in the world, can you imagine-" he would have let her babble on but he decided that this was not how he wanted to play his game; after all _he_ was in charge.

"Ah,ah,ah." he tutted her and gave her a sly smirk. "That's not how it works?"

her brows furrowed in confusion and she sat back slightly in her seat.

"Hmm...Then how does it work?" she questioned pushing her glasses up and then crossed her arms on the table.

"If you get to ask me a question,- then it is only fair that I receive the same boon." he replied, mimicking her action and rested his arms on the table.

"That seems fair enough." she said after a moment and then flashed him a small smile. "Alright, ask away."

"Where are you from? I don't recognize that accent." the question had been waring at him like water upon the pebbles of a riverbank, and though it was a stupid question he decided it was good small talk.

"Really? I'm surprised." she said looking rather smug and he had to keep himself from growling in annoyance at her sudden smarmy behaviour.

"Really." he replied in a clipped tone.

"I'm from Australia, born and raised, I came to the United States for this job." she said, eyes glazing over as if in remembrance. "This area's not much different than the Outback back home, it's...nice."

He merely hummed in response, his curiosity of her origins sated for the moment.

"So now it's my turn?" she stated with a keen smile.

"That's how I said the game was played, yes." he replied leaning back in his seat nonchalantly.

"Alright, as I asked before what sort of intelligence are you in?" he could see she was skipping right over the small talk and going right to the heart of the matter, and he had to admit he admired that. Someone who knew what they wanted and was not easily deterred from their objective.

"Very well, I'm actually interested in your department, well yours and your companions." he replied smoothly; eager to put his plan in motion and plant the seeds of misguided trust.

"So S.H.I.E.L.D actually sent us someone that could be useful!" she grinned; and he noticed her nose crinkled when she did that.

"You could say that, however I doubt I have the amount of knowledge you and your partners have." a compliment, and only time would tell if she actually earned it.

"You flatter me, but Jane... she's a genius. The research she's done, the sheer amount of man hours she's put into the project, that alone is incredible." Ofelia replied, resting her chin atop her hand.

"I've read the reports, do you believe it? Do you believe she can accomplish what she is setting out to do?"

"From her notes, everything is sound enough...certainly!" she paused. "It really all comes down to finding the right energy and the proper amount, though that itself seems nearly impossible and that's half the research right there." she sounded disappointed.

Once again he merely hummed and sat quietly, allowing what she had told him to mull around in his thoughts for a while.

"I'm sorry I'm probably boring you." she said with a sheepish smile.

"No, no, it's all rather interesting." he replied and gifted her with a small smirk.

"Well it's good to know I'm not a total bore." she laughed and stood up. "I'm starving, would you like some breakfast?"

"That would be nice."

* * *

><p>Loki gazed down at the questionable food staring back up at him from his plate, he turned and watched the woman scurrying a'bout the kitchen and briefly wondered if she was trying to poison him.<p>

As if sensing his uncertainty about her cooking she called out over her shoulder with a chuckle.

"Don't worry, it's a lot better than it looks, I promise."

deciding to take her word for it, as she had no reason to lie to him he carefully took a bit and found himself pleasantly surprised. He imaged that Volstagg himself would have been very pleased as well.

"My dad's a chef back home." she said as she took her seat opposite him. "Wanted to be one myself when I was small...but as you can see my presentation is less then...well less then pleasing."

"So from mere chef to scholar of the stars? An odd leap." he commented and she laughed and shook her head.

"Yes it does sound rather strange, though I do find interest in many things." she grinned.

Heavy footsteps and what sounded like someone running into a piece of furniture broke the pleasant ambience of room and he and Ofelia looked over to see Darcy stumbling half awake over to the table.

"Mmm, do I smell pancakes...and coffee?" she said said and slumped down into one of the unoccupied chairs.

Ofelia gave him a quick glance before rolling her eyes and turning back to the other woman nodding with good natured yet exasperated "yes."


	4. Whispered Secrets

**Author's note:** Once again thank you to everyone who has reviewed...(This one is a longer chapter than expected!oh and decided to add in some Australian lingo for you as well!) Anyways... More Loki-Ofelia interaction along the way and Jane and Darcy get to meet the God of Mischief. Selvig also makes his appearance and he can't help be a bit suspicious of the girls new companion...Hope you all enjoy! And review if you will :)

* * *

><p>Jane was thoroughly surprised to see that she was the last one to greet the morning as she walked into the lab. Spotting Ofelia sitting on one of the couches in the center common she was rather curious and somewhat suspicious at the company she held. Beside her, watching as she messily sketched something out on a crumpled piece of notebook paper was a man; and something about him gave her a wary and uneasy vibe...<p>

Craning her neck she tried to see what the other woman was now scribbling madly down on the paper, she could make out an oblong shaped circle and what looked to be a bunch of waves next to it. Perhaps she was telling the man about the solar winds and their effect on the earth...or maybe it was a depiction of eggs sunny-side-up and some bacon; most likely the former. Turning away she made her was over to kitchen to were her other assistant sat.

Watching in slight awe at the way Darcy exuberantly shoveled syrup drenched pancakes into her mouth. Slowly she moved around the table and poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down next to her friend.

A short pause settled between in the room, with only the sound of Darcy's excited eating and the hushed whispers of Ofelia as she explained something she was particularly enthused about. Finally Jane set down her coffee and turned to the woman beside her.

"You're up early." she remarked and gave her a tired smile.

"I know right?" came the reply, mouth half full.

Jane grimaced and decided not to say anything more until her companion decided to swallow her food.

After a moment Darcy swallowed and gulped a mouthful of her coffee and grinned.

"What are you so pleased about?" Jane said with a little laugh at the absurd face her friend was displaying.

"Can't you tell?" she asked waggling her eyebrows and the astrophysicist laughed and shook her head. "Love is in the air!" she declared dramatically, placing her hands over her heart and turning towards the astronomer and the newcomer.

Jane's brow furrowed.

"Who is he anyway?" she asked in a hushed voice, leaning over the table so that the other woman might hear her better.

"Eh, I dunno." was the reply and Darcy stabbed at the mutilated food on her plate. "Hey there's plenty more of Ofelia's ameba shaped pancakes if you want some; might have to put them in the microwave since _somebody_ slept so long!"

"Oh hush up!" she replied with a good natured smile before getting up to grab another cup of coffee and some breakfast.

As the day wore on Jane felt less and less uneasy with the stranger that had taken up residence with them, mostly due to the fact he had shown her he was the new agent assigned to the facility. Though this didn't stop her from checking with Micky the security guard, but he assured her that all his records and files had been sent over and they were anything less than sterling.

She was also pleased to find that the man _Lloyd Newton_ had been sent over from the intelligence division so they wouldn't just get another guard with a hero complex; no offense to Micky who had been wonderful.

She had briefed him on what they were trying to accomplish and he seemed rather interested in all; she wouldn't call it inthralled due to the fact that he seemed very in control of his outward emotions, but interested none the less.

That night she set him up on the couch, telling him it would, of course, be temporary until they could get him a trailer or at least a cot. He simply nodded, his dark green eyes boring into her and she once again found she was uneasy with him but quickly tried to brush it off. She would simply have to get used to his company, Darcy and Ofelia already seemed to have adjusted ,and Jane briefly wondered why she felt so on edge, and why a feeling of unnerving suspicion had settled in her gut...

* * *

><p>A two weeks had past since his arrive to Midgard and he could honestly say he was bored out of his mind. Never had he felt so caged, so bound, even when Thor had placed Mjölnir upon his chest it was nothing compared to the suffocation he felt now.<p>

The town was lackluster, and the residence went about their daily lives day in and day out the same way everyday. He dare not use his magic or trickery to lighten up his dreary mood, for fear he'd be found out; he could tell much to his displeasure that Jane Foster was ever wary of his presence.

And that notion caused him pause for thought; Jane from what he could tell from his short time in the mortal realm, was very wise for her years. He wondered why such an intelligent being would choose such a brash and arrogant fool like his brother.

And this brought him to the two other women; on their trips to the local tavern, Darcy reminded him much of how many of the Gods acted when it came to ale and friends. Somethings were universal; and this is how most people acted he supposed; drinking, making merry, and drunken flirting. She would get along well with Thor and the warriors three...

Now Ofelia, much like Jane, seemed to keep to herself, rather than mingle with drunken fools, or as she called them _"off their faces"_. And when intoxicated men approached her in the bar he never rose up to defend her or chase off the idiots; for he found she was perfectly capable of doing so by herself. Most of the time they would leave after a polite yet firm decline, however, the one's that did not wish their male pride injured found that when they persisted they were met with a less than pleasant response. And he had come to find that when she was distressed or upset words an phrases of her far off home often followed.

"Listen you whacker, the first thing my colleague gave me when I got my job was a taser, so I think you should just rack off."

At this he had smiled to himself and returned to rather stale ale that he had merely tasted and pushed away in disgust.

He decided that Ofelia and Jane cared more for their research and the presuit of knowledge than the social life that many so desperately craved; and he found that in this way he was very similar to them.

Because of this he had grow somewhat fond of the female astronomer's company; ever curious, ever seeking the fountain of knowledge so that she might drink from its cool depths.

He knew much of the stars and celestial bodies in his Realm, but fairly little of Midgard's, so he gladly sat through the enthusiastic babbles of the young woman so that he might further expand his knowledge and understanding.

One night as he lay awake on the cot the women had managed to find him, his mind wandered to what she would do if she had been able to travel to Asgard. _(She seemed to believe that it was possible to reach the other Realm, provided the proper energy was sufficed...)_ Perhaps she would be speechless, perhaps she would ramble like a mad woman; at this a smirk grew upon his lips. Yes, her reaction would be most entertaining to observe. Perhaps in the end, if he got what he wanted he would reward her with a trip to Asgard; which in turn he would be rewarded once more with a show of her mortal mind trying to comprehend what was only written in ink...

* * *

><p>Loki picked at the food on his plate in disdain; <em>pizza<em>, the third time this week, he didn't see what mortals found so appetizing about the greasy, doughy cuisine; _if he could even call it tha_t... Ofelia's _ameba_ shaped (as Darcy called them) pancakes were beginning to sound like the food of the God's.

Tonight like most nights they decided to dine on the roof of the research facility, around a small pit fire that Jane and Darcy had built.

"Mmm, I could eat this everyday of the week." Darcy said through a mouthful of food before offering her crust to Ofelia, who rolled her eyes but took it anyway.

"Well, I'm sick of pizza." Ofelia replied as she chewed on the piece of baked dough, finding it tougher than she thought.

Loki hummed in reposed and glanced down at his untouched food.

"See, Lloyd agrees with me! How you Americans live off this stuff is beyond me." she said with a sigh, leaning back in her lawn chair.

"That and Mcdonald's!" Darcy quipped reaching for the last slice in the box, turning to look at everyone as if to ask _'can I have it?'_

"Darcy! We do not!" Jane said with a shocked laugh and the other woman shrugged in response. "We really don't." she then said turing to Ofelia who laughed.

Soon the pizza box and the paper plates were thrown away and the odd gaggle sat beneath the clear starry sky, laying back in the lawn chairs that occupied the facility's roof.

Ofelia could feel her eyelids becoming heavy and felt her mind beginning to cloud with the soft haze of sleep; snuggling into the somewhat uncomfortable chair she sighed.

"You want a blanket?" Jane asked, starting to sit up but the astronomer waved for her to lay back down.

"No,no, I'm spiffy!" she reassured her sleepily.

As the astrophysicist settled back a soft rumbling from below alerted the group of an approaching vehicle.

Leaning against the iron rail that spanned the edge of the roof Loki watched from his position as the three women excitedly scrambled to their feet and leaned over the rail beside him.

"Hey professor!" he winced as Darcy yelled down to a man who had just stepped out of a sleek black car.

Shielding his eyes with a hand from the bright outdoor spotlights illuminating the lab the man grinned and then waved.

"I thought you three would be up there! Hang on I'll be right up!" he called out and bade the driver of the car farewell before ushering inside.

"It's nice to have Erik back." Jane said turning back around and leaning leisurely against the rail. "At least Lloyd wont be stuck with just us girls anymore." she added and looked over to were he stood and gave him a soft smile.

"Oh please, being stuck with us gorgeous gals was probably the highlight of his life; isn't that right Llyod?" Darcy called over to him, to which his brows arched and gave her a disbelieving stare.

"Of course, where would I be without you three?" he asked gazing up to the twinkling heavens above.

"I know right?"

"Yes Darcy, being stuck with us is a dream come true." Ofelia commented sarcastically with a laugh and shook her head.

"That's what I just said!" the assistant quipped, trying her best to sound appalled that he could be anything but.

"I was being sarcastic Darcy!" she responded with a laugh.

Before the other woman could get another word in the roof door to the stairwell opened and Erik Selvig stepped through with a grin on his face and open arms.

Loki watched as the three women ran excitedly over to their colleague, each giving him a bone crushing hug and chattering with him all at once.

It was at this moment that the God of Mischief realized how much he missed this human interaction, this sort of affection. He watched as the group chatted warmly with one another; as if they were a family, and as much as it pained him to admit it he missed his kin, his brethren...Though he had turned out to be the black sheep in his family, it was the only family, the only world he had ever known; certainly not Laufey, not Jotunheim...

Quickly he shook the thoughts from his mind, not wishing to dwell on them now, or in the near future. Gazing up from the hard stare he was giving the ground he discovered that his presence was not going unnoticed.

"I don't believe we've met." the man name Selvig said as he slowly approached him.

"No we haven't." Loki eyed him carefully, a subtle twinkle of suspicion in the man's eye gave him away and the God knew that the newcomer did not trust him...not in the least. He would have to be careful with this one around.

"Erik Selvig." he said and held out his hand in greeting.

"Lloyd Newton." he replied in a clipped tone and grasped the offered hand; he noticed that the other man held on long that the customary handshake and he new that he was feeling him out, testing the waters.

"Hey Professor! Going to bed, see you in the morning!" Darcy interrupted, already slipping through the door and stifling a yawn.

"Goodnight!" Erik called back and Ofelia and Jane bade her their tired goodnights.

Selvig turned back to him once more.

"I hope you've taken good care of the girls, they can be a handful." _ah_, civilized talk.

"I hardly needed to, they can hold their own perfectly well...I fear I would have gotten in the way." he replied curtly, a quick glance over to the two women who had since moved back to the their chairs.

At this Selvig laughed.

"That is very true!" he replied with a grin.

By now Loki could tell that the man had something to say, something rather important. The way his body shifted slightly from side to side; his words clipped and his answers quick, the look of blanketed excitement shining in his eyes. _Yes_, Loki knew that look very well, the look of someone with a secret they were dying to tell.

"I will let you reacquaint yourselves." he said.

"There's no need to run off so soon." Selvig said, but his tone said otherwise.

"No, it's fine." he replied holding up a hand.

"Well if you're sure..."

Loki nodded and briskly brushed past the other man.

He meant to leave with haste however he paused when he spotted the astronomer passed out on the lawn chair; and he felt his heart warm at the sight.

Curled up in a small ball and glasses askew; true he had seen more saint like sleepers, but this made her seem so human...

"Don't worry about her, she sleeps up here all the time. I'll bring her a blanket up later." Selvig said, and he knew that the man was trying to push him to leave.

The God gave a curt nod and briskly walked over to the stairwell and quickly closed the door behind him.

Loki stood behind the door, a small smirk gracing his lips; concentrating, he centered himself, imagining his body slowly evaporating, turing to nothing but smoke and mist. It had been a while since he had done this and much to his displeasure he had found he had grown somewhat _rusty_ as humans called it. It took him more time than usual to change his shape and to this he vowed to at least find a secluded place in the near future to practice his magic and mischief making.

Passing beneath the gap under the door as a wisp of cool grey mist he allowed himself to once again take form under the blanket of invisibility. Carefully and without a sound he moved to where Selvig and Jane sat on the lawn chairs before the dying embers of the small pit fire.

"Fury didn't mention a new agent being sent over." he realized he had butted into the middle of a conversation, and not the one he had been anticipating; yet, still he listened, curious as to what the man had to say.

"Micky said that all his paperwork was in order." Jane replied and then added. "Why? what's going on?"

"Nothing, it's nothing, there's just something about that guy that doesn't sit right with me..."

_Yes, he would have to be more careful with the new comer._

"I felt the same thing..." Jane said looking slightly unnerved. "But we really have no reason to suspect anything right?"

Selvig hummed in thought. "What do the others think?"

"Darcy, is Darcy, I think she enjoys teasing him, but when doesn't she enjoy doing that to anyone...Ofelia..." she paused, voice dropping in fear that the astronomer might wake up; and Loki found himself straining to hear her hushed voice. "Ofelia has taken a shine to him,though I'm sure she is either too proud or too in denial to admit it."

At this he glanced over to the sleeping woman and studied her for a moment. Yes, it was true that on occasion her face would turn as red as Volstagg's during his drunk merrymaking when certain things were said. But she redeemed herself with pride she had for her knowledge, and at times he was unsure if she indeed felt something towards him or if she was embarrassed or mentally scolding herself for crack in her knowhow.

"She's a smart girl, I'm fairly certain she won't do anything too stupid." Selvig said with a small laugh.

To this the astrophysicist gave a small sad smile.

"Love makes you do stupid..._crazy_ things..." she replied, and the man returned her smile and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, we'll find him..." he told her and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

Jane sighed and quickly pulled herself together, refusing to mope before turning to face her companion, with a look that meant business.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" she asked, tone still hushed.

Loki listened in quiet anticipation; and as he watched a grin spread across the man's face and he knew this what he had been waiting for.

Selvig leaned in closer to the young woman.

"Shield has found something _amazing_..."

A slow cruel grin spread across Loki's face at these words, and he made himself comfortable, allowing the mortals unbeknownst to them to give him information he had been waiting for.


End file.
